


the gifts

by kateanderson



Category: Figure Skating RPF
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-09
Updated: 2016-07-09
Packaged: 2018-07-22 14:49:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7443286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kateanderson/pseuds/kateanderson
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is much sappier than anything I usually write, but this series of little stories is really just what I wish for these two, even though I know it's never going to happen.</p>
    </blockquote>





	the gifts

**Author's Note:**

> This is much sappier than anything I usually write, but this series of little stories is really just what I wish for these two, even though I know it's never going to happen.

The sound of her apartment door being opened awoke Tessa, causing her to drift slowly from the dream she had been having about building a house on the pointy top of a mountain. She waited, hearing his footsteps creak across the floor and then, "Knock, knock!"

Tessa grinned and stretched her arms out from under the sheet. It was what had turned into their Saturday morning ritual after she had gifted him with a key to her apartment shortly after the move to Montreal. "For emergencies, y'know." The first emergency had been a lack of coffee and since then, he had decided she was having a coffee emergency every Saturday morning.

Scott pushed her bedroom door open and held the cup out to her. Tessa sat up, back against her headboard and gratefully accepted his offering. It was only after she had taken a mouthful of the still hot liquid that she actually looked at him. Sweaty hair matted on his head and a slight sheen glistened on the portion of his chest visible above his t-shirt. "What happened to you?"

"Went for a run." He pulled his shirt away from his chest. "Got a bit sweaty. I swear it's already 30 degrees out there."

Tessa took another sip, a smaller one this time and wrinkled her nose. "Ew." She would never understand his fondness for running, nor why he would choose to do it during a muggy Montreal summer.

"Ah well," Scott said and then with a self satisfied sigh, he flopped down on the bed next to her. "It's nice in here."

"Scott!" Tessa poked him with her index finger and then drew it back with a frown. "Get off! I just changed my sheets."

Scott rolled over onto his stomach, resting his face on the pillow beside her. "I think it's too late."

"Ugh." Tessa took another sip of the coffee. It was from the place that she'd discovered down the street shortly after she'd moved in and was conveniently located between his building and her building. The staff already knew them both by name. "Why are men so gross?"

"I revel in my grossness, Tess." Scott replied. "I own it."

Well, at least there was that. Tessa snorted out a soft laugh as she thought about all the times she'd had to hug a sweaty Scott. It didn't bother her that much, really. A few minutes later, from beside her, a soft snore caught her attention, bringing her back from her memories of childhood competitions. She set her coffee down on the nightstand and gently ran her fingers through his still slightly damp hair. He looked so much like the little boy whose hand she had held so many years ago.

As gently as she could, Tessa eased herself back down onto the bed, drawing the sheet up over both of them. Scott had the right idea. The rest of the day could wait. 

*

"Here." Scott said and shoved a large brown envelope into her hands.

"What's this?" Tessa looked at the envelope which was creased as if he'd been holding it for a long time but had no markings on it.

"Open it."

Tessa sat down at the table and pulled a pile of papers from the envelope. It looked like a rental agreement but at the bottom, in bold letters was the word terminated. She laughed, realization of what it was dawning on her. It was the lease that Scott had signed six months earlier when they had moved to Montreal. The lease that he had now broken. "I guess it's official then, huh?"

"Unless you're planning on kicking me out into the cold, mean streets in the dead of winter." Scott said and then with a wink, "Roomie."

Tessa put the papers back into the envelope and stood up. She wrapped her arms around him, pressed a soft kiss to his throat and rested her head just under his chin. "Not a chance. Roomie."

*

If the situation were any different, Tessa would be in a state of panic but being blindfolded in a car with Scott was just another day. "I don't understand why I can't know where we're going."

"Because it would ruin the surprise." Scott replied. She heard the click, click of the turn signal and then they went over a bump. The car came to a stop and the engine was shut off. "Stay there. I'm coming around to get you."

Tessa sighed and waited. She heard him get out, the door shut and then a few moments later, he opened her door and gently grasped her arm. "This had better be good." she muttered, stumbling over what she figured was his foot on her way out of the car.

"It will be. Come on!" He tugged her hand and wrapped herself around him, allowing him to lead her to well, wherever it was that he was taking her. 

As they entered a building, it didn't take her long to figure out where she thought they might be. In the distance, she heard some small yips of barking dogs. "Scott..." She had fought him for several months now on having a pet. He argued that it wouldn't be fair, they were never home and who would look after it when they went away? But she had persisted, even going so far as to befriend their neighbour who said she would happily check in when they were away.

He undid the blindfold and sure enough, they were at the humane society. "You can choose whatever you want." he said. "Dog, cat, guinea pig, I don't care."

Tessa grabbed his hand, gave it a squeeze and then looked at the young volunteer waiting to help them. "Where are your cats?" she asked.

*

They hadn't won and they hadn't even come second. She had known it was possible, even likely to happen when they came back but the bronze still stung. Even two weeks later, far removed from the World Championships, tucked away at her mom's cottage, it just plain sucked.

The last light of the watery April day had faded away. Tessa drew the blanket tighter around her body as the wind began to pick up. The door behind her creaked open and didn't close, so she knew he was standing in the doorway. "Come inside." he said. She shook her head. "Please?"

Tessa sighed, feeling the all-too-familiar sting of tears in her eyes. "Not yet." She just needed to be out here. The cottage, since her mom had purchased it a few years ago, had become her place of solace. When she was here, everything was okay.

The door creaked shut and she sighed again, this time out of relief. She knew he was hurting too, that it wasn't any easier for him to accept that they were going into an Olympic season as only third best in the world but his constant prodding and attempts to cheer her up were getting old. The lake was fading into the grey of night and in the distance, an owl's soft hoot made her smile.

She was almost ready to toss the blanket aside and rejoin the real world when she heard the door creak open again. This time it shut and Scott's footsteps padded across the porch. In the dim light, she watched as he walked in front of her, paused and then knelt down. "Hi, Tess." he said and reached for her hand.

"Hi..." she replied back, not really sure what was happening.

"I wanted to wait," he said. "but then I figured, what the hell? What better time than now for this."

"Oh." Tessa said softly. Tears pricked at her eyes again as she realized that in front of her, he was down on one knee.

*

In the end, they did it. The scores were announced and he had held her hand so tightly that her fingers turned white. On the small screen, they watched as their names appeared at the top of the list. Gold medal winners. Again. 

Eight years ago they had shouted and screamed and hugged wildly and now, they just turned to each other and quietly embraced. The cameras were on them and in the back of her mind, she knew they were hoping for more of a reaction but she was content to just hold Scott and be held. She felt him turn his head slightly and he whispered into her ear, "I love you."

After the medal ceremony and it was official, she held her medal in her hands, stroking the solid gold finish. Two years of putting her life on hold, sacrificing everything else to pursue this one moment. She caught Scott's eye and he smiled at her. The ring on her left hand glittered and she knew she'd do it all over again. "Tessa! Picture!" She didn't know who had called her but she jumped up and hurried over to the group.

In between flashes and phones in her face, she felt someone behind her and knew in a second it was Scott. "You left something." he said and when she turned around to face him, he held up her medal. She had left it sitting on the chair in her haste to join the photo session. The medal was nice, she thought but the memories behind it were worth much more. She bowed her head and allowed Scott to slip the ribbon around her neck.

"Thank you." she said softly.

*

She feels like her grandmother would have been horrified that she was pregnant on her wedding day. Only a few people had known - her mother, her sister, Scott's mom and of course, Scott. Her dress had still fit and she gamely held a glass of champagne for the toasts but put it down without even taking a sip. It wasn't until a few months later, when they revealed the due date that anyone did the math. "We just couldn't wait." Scott said to his grandpa with a shrug.

Now, seven months later and holding a tiny baby in her arms, she still can't quite believe it's real. In their house, the one she had purchased so many years ago on a whim and an idea that she wanted a place to call her own, now fully decked out with baby paraphernalia, they lived together and they had a family. The two of them, the cat and now their daughter.

Scott sat down beside her on the sofa and reached across, gently taking the sleeping girl from her. It had been an hour since he had last held her and he claimed that he couldn't possibly go any longer than that. He held her to his chest, cupping her tiny head with his palm. "She's so perfect, Tess." he said, staring down at his daughter in awe. "Thank you."

"We make good things together."

"Hmm," Scott said with a chuckle. "We do."


End file.
